Ford and startup Agility Robotics are partnering in a research project that will test how two-legged robots and self-driving vehicles can work together to solve that curb-to-door problem. The robot is capable of lifting 40 pounds. It can ride along in a self-driving vehicle. it also can be deployed when needed to delivery packages.
Autonomous vehicles might someday be able to navigate bustling city streets to deliver groceries, pizzas, and other packages without a human behind the wheel. But that doesn’t solve what Ford Motor CTO Ken Washington describes as the last 50-foot problem.
The communication between Digit and a Ford autonomous vehicle is perhaps the most compelling piece of this research project.the AV arrives at its destination, the hatch of the Ford Transit van opens and Digit unfolds itself, then grabs the package and walks to the door. Digit is equipped with lidar and stereo cameras, just enough sensors for basic navigation.
There’s more to the story. The autonomous vehicle equipped with a robust suite of sensors and computing power that allows for more complex decision making is sharing its data with Digit long before it is deployed. When Digit “wakes up” it already knows where it is in the world. And if Digit runs into trouble, it can communicate with the idling AV for that extra perception and decision-making prowess.
“If you know you’re riding around in the vehicle with a clear view of your entire surroundings, it’s a lot easier to get up and move around,” Shelton explained. “That’s really how we’re viewing the primary purpose of this beta exchange; to help the robot be aware of its surroundings, so that you don’t go through this sort of boot up process where the robot gets out of the car and is confused for the first 30 seconds it’s turned on.”
All of this research and experimentation is part of the Ford’s eventual goal to launch a commercial robo-taxi service. And that last 50-feet will be one of the critical hurdles it will need overcome if it hopes to make self-driving vehicles a profitable enterprise. To prepare, the automaker is pursuing two parallels tracks, testing and honing in on how an AV business might operate, while separately developing autonomous vehicle technology through its subsidiary Argo AI .
Ford plans to spend $4 billion through 2023 under an LLC that’s dedicated to building out an autonomous vehicles business. The $4 billion spending plan includes a $1 billion investment in startup Argo AI. Ford is testing in Detroit, Miami, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. and is poised to expand into Austin.
